Your buyers are social - millions of people use social media every day. They share their passions with the world and they connect with what they love. Make your business part of the conversation and turn followers into buyers.
Research tells us that 98% of digital consumers are also social media users, 74% of people trust social media to guide their purchasing decisions, and 55% of all buyers actively do research on social networks. For eBay sellers in particular, social media marketing is an effective way to get in front of customers early in their shopping process and inspire them to make their purchase from you.
Our consumer-facing accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter are important ways we drive traffic to the marketplace, display the value and breadth of our inventory, inspire shoppers with seller stories, and foster community by showing off unique, only-on-eBay finds.
Here are some tips for putting the power of social media to work for your business.
Be authentic
- Consider your target audience and how you can build your relationship with it.
- Stay true to who you are as a seller and be a person to build trust and credibility.
Consider your options
Think about what people use each social media channel for. Explore each carefully before deciding where to start. Generally speaking, people use
- Facebook for staying in touch.
- Twitter for breaking news.
- Blogs for telling stories.
- YouTube for videos.
Starting out
- Create a separate account for your business. Facebook requires you to create a separate page for your business. Post about your eBay listings on your business page instead of your personal Facebook profile. Create separate business accounts for Twitter and Pinterest, too!
- Start small. Start with one channel and build up your presence. Focus your efforts on activities that are most likely going to give a good return on your time investment.
- Listen and engage. Contribute the conversation by creating fresh, genuine content throughout the week. Take time to listen to what your followers and followers are saying about you on social channels. Respond to your customers promptly to take advantage social media power to cultivate loyal customers.
- Cross-promote your channels. Post your YouTube videos on your blog, or update Facebook when you have a new blog post, including the link. Point Twitter followers to your blog. Be creative.
- Don't expect instant results. It takes time to build a presence on any channel. As long as you regularly post interesting content, yours will grow.
- Sellers can also utilize some additional tools available from eBay. Including a range of Giphys at Giphy.com/ebay and stickers on Instagram.
Carve out time in the day to dedicate to social media marketing, and treat it as an investment in your business. Read more about social media on our Sell Global page.
Regards,
eBay INCBT Team
